Been there myself. hate it!

that sucks... unless your a coyote then its a grand celebration of good luck.

sorry to hear that...we are over run with coyotes up here in Alberta...need to be hunted more...they serve a purpose but when they get high in numbers....they can be a problem....

Heck, you were lucky to shoot a deer in NH. Too bad it ended like that.

You did the right thing. You could have pushed that deer further and lost him. It's very possible the yotes finished him off. The reason they made such short work of it is they were hungry, being so cold out.

My 2012 (rifle) buck saw a similar situation, but with a luckier result for me. After the hit he moved off parallel across the mountainside at dusk. I waited the usual wait then quietly followed up then decided not to push him and waited until morning.

The following morning I was back and able to follow. He turned abruptly downhill which was going to lead him to private land I did not nor expected to get permission to enter. My heart sunk; I didn't want to lose the deer, and I didn't want it dying in the neighbors yard.

Halfway down the mountain the deer abruptly turned and headed back up. "Why did he do that?" I wondered. I found where a bobcat had met him halfway up, hid, crouched, and pounced! There was evidence of a good scrap then the deer continued on up and then back across. Eventually I walked up on the cat -a beautiful big tom I believe.

He didn't want to give up his deer so he did what a bobcat would do to a fox or single yote -he stood his ground. He did not offer any threats, in fact he'd not make eye contact with me, looking away when I looked or closing his eyes, even though he was only about 20feet away. The deer was dead another 50ft up the mountainside.

I told the cat it was my deer and I was going to take it, but that I'd leave him some. I clapped and pressed the issue and he sauntered off like a big fuzzy house cat.

Thought that was pretty cool.

   

   

I'm not a fan of backing out unless I know it's a gut shot, then you just don't have any choice unless there's good tracking snow.  

Then I think you should stay in the area for a couple hours and go until you either move the deer/elk or find it.

The reason to stay in the area is if coyotes find it, they will carry on and you can go to the site and spook them off.

Pretty amazing.

Dave,
 Having lost a deer to the same, I sympathize with you. But in my situation, the dogs left SOMETHING! Incredible. Perhaps the extreme cold was driving their appetites.
                        Regards,
                            Todd

David,
I had the same ting happen to me a few years ago.  I decided to change the odds...Tilly

 

Here in Michigan, coyotes have been part of the question on if a hunter should wait or go after a deer right away for a long time.

If I were you, I would give it two days, and go back to the area with a shotgun and a fawn distress call, or even "The Can" from Primos...the one that replicates a doe estrus bleat.

Coyotes have become a big problem,  we have the same problem with coyotes in Florida.  They are out of control we have seen our deer population suffer due to the coyotes.    

I'm so sorry about your deer my brother shot his first bow buck 3 years ago and we jumped him and I backed out and went back next day coyotes since that day I have hunted with no luck for every yote I can go after I will drop the population quite a bit this winter got a few buddys coming that always have luck

Hey David!

Sorry to hear about your loss.  That's pretty spooky having something drag the whole darn deer off.       On occasion we'll hear of a coyote in the area but I have yet to see one around home.  The toughest predator in our woods is the red fox.  They can make quick work of the hindquarters but have yet to find one that can drag off a mature deer!   :rolleyes:  

Stay at it and have a Merry Christmas!

Tim

Wow Dave....I've never seen yotes leave nothing!   sorry man.  

wonder if a bear or lion dragged it off and covered it up.

Thats to bad I would be hunting some predators.

All they left is the gut pile?

IMO something isn't right there I've looked at a few coyote kills and scavenging sites and none of them looked like that. A human or a bear or something took that deer.

I wonder if there was anyone hunting near you that got it?

very strange

We Kill/        survive(we're part time hunters, they do it full time).  Would you pass up a FREE        dinner if you were starving?( find it very strang that yots would take the heavy bones(looks like someone gutted the deer) only bears/mnt lions/wolfs carry off a kill)

Next time PEE or hang a swetty tee shirt in the area marking your       kill as  a wild animal does, might help, might not.

yep, it's a bummer, but do put it all into proper perspective.

like bldtrailer just said ... the cycle of life for all living things - it's all good, one way or another, 'yotes got as strong a will to live as any creature.

QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
yep, it's a bummer, but do put it all into proper perspective.

like bldtrailer just said ... the cycle of life for all living things - it's all good, one way or another, 'yotes got as strong a will to live as any creature.

Good post.

Dave, your DNR might issue you another tag. Many states do nowadays.